Fleming Rutledge is a preacher and teacher known throughout the US, Canada, and parts of the UK. She is the author of eight books, all from Eerdmans Publishing. Her most recent book, The Crucifixion: Understanding the Death of Jesus Christ, is the product of the work of a lifetime and is being described as a new classic on the subject.

One of the first women to be ordained to the priesthood of the Episcopal Church, she served for fourteen years on the clergy staff at Grace Church on Lower Broadway at Tenth Street, New York City.

Fleming and her husband celebrated their 50th anniversary in 2009 and have two daughters and two grandchildren. She is a native of Franklin, Virginia.

Ruminations: Small people?

Saturday, June 19, 2010

Small people?

The hapless Tony Hayward adds another mark against himself today by spending the day watching his yacht compete in a big race. "He's got his life back," said one wag. There seems to be no end to the tone-deaf gaffes. Yet Mr. Hayward is not alone. Another oil company executive protested that he did indeed care about the "small people." Was it a surprise to him when there was an outraged outcry from South Louisiana? "We are not small people! We are human beings!"

I am often reminded of my friend, the great New York writer Joseph Mitchell, who wrote about people who were invisible to everyone else. When someone remarked that he wrote about "little people," he said indignantly, "The people I write about are just as big as you are, whoever you are."